Gut Microbiome Diversity and Composition in Captive Siberian Tigers (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>): The Influence of Diet, Health Status, and Captivity on Microbial Communities
The gut microbiome is essential for the health of carnivorous mammals, including the endangered Siberian tiger (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>). However, limited research exists on the gut microbiome of captive Siberian tigers, especially regarding how diet and health status influence mi...
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2024-10-01
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| author | You-Jeong Lee Saebom Lee Beoul Kim Dongmi Kwak Taehwan Kim Min-Goo Seo |
| author_facet | You-Jeong Lee Saebom Lee Beoul Kim Dongmi Kwak Taehwan Kim Min-Goo Seo |
| author_sort | You-Jeong Lee |
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| description | The gut microbiome is essential for the health of carnivorous mammals, including the endangered Siberian tiger (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>). However, limited research exists on the gut microbiome of captive Siberian tigers, especially regarding how diet and health status influence microbial diversity. This study addresses this gap by investigating the gut microbiome diversity and composition of six captive-born Siberian tigers housed at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum in South Korea, using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The study aimed to examine how diet and health status influence microbial communities, providing baseline data for managing captive tigers. Alpha diversity analysis revealed significant variation in microbial richness and evenness, with Tigers 2 and 6 exhibiting the highest microbial diversity and Tiger 3 the lowest, likely due to its surgical history and limited diet. Beta diversity analysis showed distinct microbial community structures influenced by diet and health. Taxonomic profiling identified <i>Firmicutes</i> and <i>Bacteroidota</i> as the dominant phyla, with <i>Clostridium</i> sensu stricto more prevalent in healthier tigers, while <i>Escherichia</i>-<i>Shigella</i> and <i>Proteobacteria</i> were abundant in tigers with lower diversity, suggesting dysbiosis. Comparisons with other tiger species confirm that diet, health, and captivity significantly shape the gut microbiome. These findings highlight the need for personalized health management in captive environments. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-07e971b3dbfd41b68368bfffe8a4126f2025-08-20T01:53:57ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072024-10-011211216510.3390/microorganisms12112165Gut Microbiome Diversity and Composition in Captive Siberian Tigers (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>): The Influence of Diet, Health Status, and Captivity on Microbial CommunitiesYou-Jeong Lee0Saebom Lee1Beoul Kim2Dongmi Kwak3Taehwan Kim4Min-Goo Seo5College of Veterinary Medicine & Institute for Veterinary Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Republic of KoreaBaekdudaegan National Arboretum, Korean Tiger Conservation Center, 1501 Chunyang-ro, Chunyang-myeon, Bonghwa 36209, Republic of KoreaCollege of Veterinary Medicine & Institute for Veterinary Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Republic of KoreaCollege of Veterinary Medicine & Institute for Veterinary Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Republic of KoreaBaekdudaegan National Arboretum, Korean Tiger Conservation Center, 1501 Chunyang-ro, Chunyang-myeon, Bonghwa 36209, Republic of KoreaCollege of Veterinary Medicine & Institute for Veterinary Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Republic of KoreaThe gut microbiome is essential for the health of carnivorous mammals, including the endangered Siberian tiger (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>). However, limited research exists on the gut microbiome of captive Siberian tigers, especially regarding how diet and health status influence microbial diversity. This study addresses this gap by investigating the gut microbiome diversity and composition of six captive-born Siberian tigers housed at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum in South Korea, using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The study aimed to examine how diet and health status influence microbial communities, providing baseline data for managing captive tigers. Alpha diversity analysis revealed significant variation in microbial richness and evenness, with Tigers 2 and 6 exhibiting the highest microbial diversity and Tiger 3 the lowest, likely due to its surgical history and limited diet. Beta diversity analysis showed distinct microbial community structures influenced by diet and health. Taxonomic profiling identified <i>Firmicutes</i> and <i>Bacteroidota</i> as the dominant phyla, with <i>Clostridium</i> sensu stricto more prevalent in healthier tigers, while <i>Escherichia</i>-<i>Shigella</i> and <i>Proteobacteria</i> were abundant in tigers with lower diversity, suggesting dysbiosis. Comparisons with other tiger species confirm that diet, health, and captivity significantly shape the gut microbiome. These findings highlight the need for personalized health management in captive environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2165gut microbiomeSiberian tigeralpha diversitybeta diversitytaxonomy profilingconservation |
| spellingShingle | You-Jeong Lee Saebom Lee Beoul Kim Dongmi Kwak Taehwan Kim Min-Goo Seo Gut Microbiome Diversity and Composition in Captive Siberian Tigers (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>): The Influence of Diet, Health Status, and Captivity on Microbial Communities Microorganisms gut microbiome Siberian tiger alpha diversity beta diversity taxonomy profiling conservation |
| title | Gut Microbiome Diversity and Composition in Captive Siberian Tigers (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>): The Influence of Diet, Health Status, and Captivity on Microbial Communities |
| title_full | Gut Microbiome Diversity and Composition in Captive Siberian Tigers (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>): The Influence of Diet, Health Status, and Captivity on Microbial Communities |
| title_fullStr | Gut Microbiome Diversity and Composition in Captive Siberian Tigers (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>): The Influence of Diet, Health Status, and Captivity on Microbial Communities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gut Microbiome Diversity and Composition in Captive Siberian Tigers (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>): The Influence of Diet, Health Status, and Captivity on Microbial Communities |
| title_short | Gut Microbiome Diversity and Composition in Captive Siberian Tigers (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>): The Influence of Diet, Health Status, and Captivity on Microbial Communities |
| title_sort | gut microbiome diversity and composition in captive siberian tigers i panthera tigris altaica i the influence of diet health status and captivity on microbial communities |
| topic | gut microbiome Siberian tiger alpha diversity beta diversity taxonomy profiling conservation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2165 |
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